Operating- railroad-switches



SIMEON HEYWOOD, OF CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

OPERATING RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,786, dated August 28, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concem:

Be it known that I, SIMnoN Hnrwoon, of Claremont, in the county ofSullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Operating Frog or Rail Switches on Railroads; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure I,represents a frog switch in one of its positions, and with its operativeparts in their respective positions, and F ig. 2, represents the sameswitch in its opposite position, and showing the relative positions ofthe several operative parts as they appear when the frog-switch isshifted to this p0- sition.

Similar let-ters of reference where they occur in the separate figuresdenote like parts of the switch mechanism in both of them.

Although I have shown the application of my switch mechanismtofrog-switches alone, I desire it to be understood that, I also claimit, to operate rail-switches,'7 and whether both kinds of switches beoperated at the same time as in my patent of the 26th of October 1858,or separately.

My invention consists, in the combination of a pivoted slotted knee,with a traversing bar and stud, for the purpose of operating theswitches of railroads.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A, A and B, B, represent two lines of rails which cross each other atthe frog O. The frog C, is represented in this case as pivoted at a tothe chair or frog-plate D, to the point (or near it) of this froghorfrog-switch O, is secured in any ordinary manner, one end of the rod orbar b, the other end thereof being pivoted at 0, to the forked knee ortumbler E, which in turn is pivoted at (l, to a permanent bedplate orsill F. This knee or tumbler E, has two arms 1, l, which are beveled olfas seen at 2, 2, and which leave a slot 3 between them, for a purposethat will be hereafter mentioned.

G, is a bar, which can be slid through proper guides e, e, either bymeans of rack and pinion or other gearing, or by a lever or levers, oreven by the cars or truck of any passing train, the object being to moveit longitudinally to operate the switch or switches. On this bar Gr,there is a pin or stud 0, which has one square side 4, the others beingrounded off slightly so as to easily swing the slotted tumbler or kneeE.

The switch being in one of its positions as seen in Fig. l, the stud 0has passed out of the slot 3, and its square side 4 rests against theinclined end 2, of one of the arms l, which locks the switch against anylateral pressure upon it. IVhen the switch is to be changed from this toits other position, the bar G, is moved in its bearings-the stud 0, willslide along until it comes in contact with the opposite arm l, of thetumbler E; it then turns said tumbler on its pivot l until the pivot orstud passes out of the slot 3, and still moving along its square side lcomes against the other inclined end 2 of the arm I, moving and lockingthe switch in its other position as shown in Fig. 2. It is obvious that,a rail switch or switches may be moved in the same way, and by the samemotor, and at the same time, if it is desirable to do so. And Icontemplate so using this device when occasion requires it. A switchpivoted at its center or thereabout may be moved also by this samemechanism. I have described the stud 0, as having one square side, theother portions being rounded off. This is not actually and positivelythe case, for a round stud, or an oval or elliptical one, willaccomplish the purpose, and I do not therefore coniine myself to the useof a stud that has a portion of it flat or square, as it lnay be roundor curved.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of a pivoted slotted knee or tumbler, with a traversingbar and stud, for the purpose of operating the switches of rail roads,substantially as described.

SIMEON HEYWOOD.

Vitnesses:

Gmo. B. HEYwooD, MILoN O. MCOLURE-

